The tradition of celebrating Thanksgiving on the first of October each year is a uniquely Stephenian experience. The philosophy behind this mass is to thank the Almighty for the blessings which He has bestowed upon the Stephenian family over the years and also to pray to him to continue showering his grace in the times to come.
The staff members and other invited guests assemble at the venue of the prayer and the mass begins with the entry of the priests. A purely divine experience follows in the form of hymns sung by the choir, led by Mr. Carver himself. It is indeed a soul-stirring experience to hear the soulfully rendered ‘Come Fill Me Up’, ‘Lord Have Mercy’, ‘Living Waters’, ‘More than Anything’ and many other melodious hymns.
The priests inspire those present to rise above self and strive endlessly to serve humanity. The holy ‘prasad’ is distributed after the service and the principal’s vote of thanks follows. The crowd disperses with the message of the Lord in their hearts.

The Lamp Of Knowledge

Traditions make cultures and we are fortunate to be a part of the St. Stephen’s family, where traditions are held in high esteem. One such tradition is the ‘lamp of knowledge’ which is a sacred ceremony and its sanctity has been maintained ever since the school was founded.
The preparations for the same start two days in advance. The auditorium and the stage are decorated. Small lamps are lit and each student of class ten passes on a lamp to a student of class nine as if to say, “we pass on the traditions to you to cherish and to hold dear.” While this is going on, the Vice Principal says a few words about each student of class 10. After the ceremony, the students and the staff members have a final interactive session over a cup of tea and snacks.
This day is etched very clearly in the memory of all the students who have passed out since it is the last day when they have the honour of wearing the St. Stephen’s uniform, before the board exams.
Though this ceremony is long drawn out as the numbers have increased manifold over the years. It is every student’s wish and prayer to God that it carries on forever as it has been done all these years in the same high spirits. Amen.